


Such a Good Alpha

by Xirayn



Series: The Habits of Humans [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha Lance (Voltron), Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Beta Hunk (Voltron), Communication is Sexy, Consent, Consent is Sexy, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Keith (Voltron), Omega Pidge | Katie Holt, References to Knotting, Sexual Content, Yes Means Yes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-13 13:44:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14749973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xirayn/pseuds/Xirayn
Summary: “You’ve got to give me a shot, Hothead,” Lance called from where he was sniping opponents with Hunk covering him like the dutiful Beta he was. For as magnificent as he was in battle, Keith consistently failed at giving Lance an opening.“You need to take it,” Keith snapped back. He switched the hand wielding his Bayard as easily as breathing and Lance lost the smallest of opportunities to how his mind caught on the skill and beauty of the movement.“A gentleman does not take,” Lance responded with feigned indignation. “Consent is sexy, Keith.”“Then I consent to you taking a damn shot,” Keith practically yelled into the commlink. He dodged to the side and a shot from Lance's Bayard whizzed past him, knocking the large robot he was fighting off balance and presenting an opening. Keith took it, but impatience had made him reckless and before he could dart away, the robot grabbed his leg.Then, because the universe had no mercy, it threw him directly into Lance.





	Such a Good Alpha

_In almost every society, Omegas are treated as an enigma. Outdated notions claim they are simultaneously frail and dangerous; ultimately in need of an Alpha to protect them while also controlling them. Without that, it is said, Omegas are instigators of chaos who tempt Alphas into doing bad things. Sadly, the most prevalent of these ‘bad things’ is the assault of the Omega. And while it is true that the pheromones an Omega emits during their heat affect nearby Alphas, it is absolutely appalling to believe that any loss of control is the fault of anything other than the weak will of the perpetrator._

__\- E.L. Cardona, The Omega Myth_ _

* * *

 

Keith’s pheromones were driving Lance insane, but despite what popular culture portrayed, there was no chance of him acting like some feral beast. At least, not unless Keith asked him too.

Watching Keith harry the main target with Shiro as Allura and Pidge held off the smaller combatants made Lance really want him to ask.

“You’ve got to give me a shot, Hothead,” Lance called from where he was sniping opponents with Hunk covering him like the dutiful Beta he was. For as magnificent as he was in battle, Keith consistently failed at giving Lance an opening.

“You need to take it,” Keith snapped back. He switched the hand wielding his Bayard as easily as breathing and Lance lost the smallest of opportunities to how his mind caught on the skill and beauty of the movement.

“A gentleman does not take,” Lance responded with feigned indignation. “Consent is sexy, Keith.”

“Then I consent to you taking a damn shot,” Keith practically yelled into the commlink. He dodged to the side and a shot from Lance's Bayard whizzed past him, knocking the large robot he was fighting off balance and presenting an opening. Keith took it, but impatience had made him reckless and before he could dart away, the robot grabbed his leg.

Then, because the universe had no mercy, it threw him directly into Lance.

A honey habanero sweetness enveloped Lance, coating his mind in a warm film. Instinctively, his tongue flicked out over his lips to taste that sweetness, making his instincts whine with want. For just a moment, he was weak and listened; shifting so that Keith fit against him and entertaining thoughts usually kept for late nights when he was alone in bed. Keith breathed his name, just the hint of a growl promising bruises the shape of fingertips and teeth scraping over flesh. It made the sweetness all the stickier as Lance tried to uncling his higher functions.

Only a tick or two had passed before Lance started to move away, but that short time was enough for the other Alpha in the room.

“End simulation,” Shiro barked.

Lance barely had the chance to register metal on the back of his neck before he was tossed away from Keith. Somehow he found enough purchase while skidding across the floor to stop himself in a low, defensive crouch.

“Did you just scruff me?” he snapped with anger that was hot and not completely his to control. He sprang up to face Shiro, prepared to fight despite just having been thrown as easily as skipping a pebble. Shiro squared his shoulders and grit his teeth in response, a firm wall between Lance and Keith.

“You need to control yourself, cadet,” the Black Paladin bit out.

“Cadet?” Lance snarled. The sound cracked something intangible in the air between them. “And here I thought I was a Paladin of Voltron.”

From a safe distance, Allura opened her mouth to intervene, but thought better of it when Pidge caught her eye. The young Omega slowly shook her head and took a deliberate step backward. Allura took the hint and followed suit. Alteans did not possess secondary genders; therefore, she lacked the understanding to get involved. Still, she remained ready to use her position of power and superior strength to break up a fight if needed.

As a Beta, Hunk had a different role in conflicts than Pidge. He subtly moved to be ready to step between the two Alphas if he needed to mediate. It didn’t need to be said that if it came down to it, he would support Lance. He had been Lance’s Beta since the Garrison, after all. Shiro was just his Alpha because Lance had taken Shiro's hand and accepted his authority. Hunk really hoped none of that changed.

“Shiro,” Keith placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder, effectively drawing his attention away from the challenge in front of him, “relax.”

It took effort, but Shiro complied, forcing himself to drop his shoulders and break eye contact with Lance. Before he did, he caught the strange mix of awe and irritation in Lance’s dark blue eyes as they flicked to Keith. There was something else there, too, and Shiro briefly wondering what he had missed during his time away from the team.

“I’m sorry, Lance.” Shiro bowed his head just enough to show he was conceding without showing any real submission. His instincts screamed at him for it, wanting him to assert his position and guard the Omega in his care. A primal part of his mind told him that the other Alpha should at least have to prove his worth before taking Shiro’s family. That wasn’t how civilized society worked, however, and Keith was more than capable of taking care of himself.

Lance melted into an easy slouch and lazy shrug at the apology. His eyes lingered on Keith, hoping for some explanation or indication of his intent, before his gaze wandered to a spot on the wall somewhere behind Shiro.

“It's fine,” he mumbled in a way that implied it wasn't fine, just not worth pressing. He silently moved across the floor to retrieve his Bayard from where it had fallen from his hands. “I think I’m done with training for today.”

He left the training room without waiting for a response or acknowledging anyone else. An awkward silence settled over everyone until Allura cautiously broke it.

“Forgive me if this is rude, but I am not sure what just happened.”

Keith let out a heavy sigh and combed his fingers through his hair. He stepped past Shiro to join the rest of the team. “My heat is starting,” he explained with no attempt to hide his annoyance at that fact.

“Heat?” Allura asked, obviously still confused. “Isn’t that related to procreation?”

Everyone had turned some shade of pink, but Pidge thankfully found the ability to see the question in a purely clinical sense.

“In some species, yes.” Her posture straightened and her eyes lit up as she launched into an explanation. “In humans, estrus cycles are a byproduct of evolution like auricular muscles or the plica semilunaris. Scientists theorize that our ancient ancestors were actually both placentals and monotremes, which is why male omegas and secondary genders even exist. Since the exocrine glands are connected to the pituitary gland-”

Hunk loudly and abruptly cleared his throat to interrupt her. It wasn’t difficult to see how increasingly uncomfortable Keith was becoming. “I think that’s enough, Pidge. Do you need anything, Keith?”

Keith shrugged. What he needed was to talk to Lance.

The first time he had gone through a heat was in the desert a few months after his eighteenth birthday. For almost a week, he had felt like an addict purging a drug from his system, longing for someone to touch while trying to satisfy his insistent hormones. The thought of the nearby town the Garrison cadets would sneak off to had been a constant temptation. Afterward, he had silently apologized to any other Omega he had judged for giving in.

The second time, over a year later due to the stress of an intergalactic war, Shiro, Lance, and Allura had been on a mission so he had been able to simply enjoy the company of a Beta and another Omega who were almost pack. Pidge had gotten Coran to tell them stories from when he was younger while they tested out Hunk's attempts at making ice cream. After everyone went to bed, Keith had stayed up late taking the edge off of his need to be touched and taken. It had actually been pretty pleasant with a distraction and no temptation to completely dominate his mind.

Now, however, temptation was very close. Keith knew Lance would respect any boundaries he laid out, though. He just needed to decide where he wanted to set those boundaries.

“Just space, I guess. Maybe some of that ice cream you came up with.”

In his peripheral vision, Keith saw Shiro slip out of the room. Before he could react, though, Hunk was clasping Keith’s shoulder with a strong hand.

“Don’t worry, buddy, I got you.” Hunk grinned then realized what he was doing. He immediately lifted his hand and held it up in concession. “Wait, sorry. You said space. This is me giving you space.”

Keith caught a whiff of fresh salt air and citrus under Hunk's own scent of sun-baked rocks and spices. His mind immediately recognized it as Lance's scent, marking Hunk as part of Lance's pack. It was accompanied by an unsuspected sense of comfort and safety. Maybe there was more he needed to think about before talking to Lance than he thought.

 

* * *

_Our society is saturated with 'advice’ on how to be a good Alpha. Don't break eye contact. Don't back down. Don't show weakness. None of that matters. Regardless of what anyone else says, the thing that makes a good Alpha is trust. If you are able to build a strong foundation of trust, others will want to follow you._

__\- Tarin Joseph Sama, 10 Qualities of an Ideal Alpha, AQ, 288, 23-24_ _

* * *

 

A hundred different things made Lance feel like a failure as an Alpha and most of them were embodied by Shiro. It was in part why he had idolized the Galaxy Garrison's ace pilot. Even after all this time, Shiro was still his hero. He was the definition of a natural born leader; the definition of a perfect Alpha. Lance was… well, he wasn't quite sure what he was. Self-sacrificial, needy, and full of fake confidence seemed to barely scratch the surface.

He strode into the common room trying to act as casually as he could. It was difficult when he knew via Hunk that Keith was there waiting for him. Firsthand experience with how amazing the Omega smelled and felt didn't help. After slinking off to his room, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it and how perfect Keith was. Not in a literal sense, of course. Keith was hot-headed and impulsive and sometimes too independent, but he was everything Lance wanted in a mate. He was fiercely loyal and brave with an adorable funny side he only showed those who had taken the time to get him to open up. Hunk had known what he was doing when he had started to introduce Keith to their little two person pack.

All that made this hurt more, though.

“Before you say anything,” Lance started as he flopped onto the far side of the couch opposite Keith, “I know you don't want anything to do with me during your heat. I'm not some Alpha who thinks a hormone driven 'yes’ counts as consent.”

“First off, hello,” Keith responded dryly with an exaggerated eye roll. “Second, don't assume you know what I want.”

Lance quirked an eyebrow. “Ok… So you don't want to talk just to make sure I keep my hands to myself?”

It took a moment for Lance to realize Keith was actually blushing.

“Sort of the opposite,” he mumbled. He took a deep breath before continuing with more confidence. “I thought about it a lot last night and I want you to spend my heat with me.”

Lance choked on his own spit. There was no way he had heard that right.

“Not sexually,” Keith went on awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. The action unintentionally drew Lance's attention to the delicate skin there with runaway thoughts of nuzzling it until his scent saturated Keith's. “Maybe a little sexually.”

“Why?” Lance kicked himself. Here he was receiving the offer of a lifetime and asking questions. Just being able to take care of Keith and trusted with protecting him, even if it was completely unnecessary, was more than he could have ever expected.

“I know I can count on you,” Keith explained with a noncommittal shrug. “Even through that stupid rivalry, you still tried to be my friend and were there when I needed you. We argued, still do, but it was never malicious and actually kind of fun. Then when everything happened with Shiro, you were there. Even after I left, you were there. I’ve never had that before and I guess I would like to see where it goes.”

“Shiro’s always been there for you,” Lance couldn't help but point out.

“I know I can count on Shiro, but he's got his own stuff going on,” Keith replied. “Besides, even before…” he waved his hand to indicate the Castle and Voltron, “this, I was someone for him to look out for and give guidance to. He’s like a brother to me and that's not what I want right now.”

“So….”

“So,” Keith sighed, a bit embarrassed at having to spell it out, “I want you to scent me and maybe, if you want, stay with me during my heat.”

“But not sexually.” Lance could do it. He had been a teenage boy, being incredibly horny and not acting on it was practically a right of passage.

“A little sexually,” Keith corrected with a dusting of red across his cheeks.

“Keith,” Lance said as he leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees as his deep blue eyes searched Keith’s, “if you’re serious about this, I’m going to need to know exactly what you mean by ‘a little sexually’.”

Keith chewed his bottom lip as he considered what exactly it was that he meant. At first, he had thought he just wanted Lance to be there, but the more he thought, the more he wanted Lance’s hands and mouth on him.

“I want to touch you,” Keith finally admitted to himself as well as Lance, “and I want you to touch me, but I don’t want my first time to be due to a heat.”

“So no penetration,” Lance stated bluntly. This wasn’t the first time he had gone over boundaries with someone. “Clothing on or off?”

“On from the waist down,” Keith answered, tension easing at Lance’s confidence. He swallowed some more of his uncertainty and moved over to sit within reach of Lance. He could smell Alpha and he wanted. Not enough to give in just yet, but enough to start taking away any lingering doubts.

“Marks?”

“Nowhere that can’t be easily covered,” Keith murmured as he prowled closer, drawn in by Lance’s scent and all the promises it held.

“Reasonable.” Lance's eyes dropped to where Keith’s fingers brushed his on the cushion between them. “Kissing?”

“Yes.”

Keith slid onto Lance’s lap and placed his lips on the Alpha’s. It was awkward for a moment, but that soon passed and Lance let Keith lead. His lips parted as Keith’s tongue sought access, a breathy sigh escaping from his throat. One of Lance’s hands came up to rest on Keith's back, thumb stroking the vertebrae between his shoulder blades while the other rested on Keith's thigh. Arousal sparked and danced between them.

The kiss broke so Keith could slide his cheek against Lance’s, repeating the motion on the other side to mingle their scents together. He then tilted his head to expose the length of his neck and Lance took the invitation. He ducked his head to nuzzle the soft, pale skin from Keith’s collarbone up to beneath the curve of his jaw where one of his primary scent glands was. The spicy sweetness of Keith was intoxicating, sending a rush of blood to Lance's cock as it mixed with his own citrus and salt air scent. It was a non-verbal sign that, at least temporarily, Lance was Keith’s and vice versa.

“So, is Shiro going to beat me up?” Lance hummed. Having an Omega in his arms that smelled like him made a haze settle over his mind. It was like being one drink past tipsy and just aroused enough to be distracting.

“I’ll protect you,” Keith responded. And he would. Lance was his for the moment and he wouldn't let anything hurt what belonged to him. “I think he knows you’d be a better mate than I deserve, though.”

“That’s a pretty high bar because you deserve someone who can match your intensity.” Lance placed a kiss to the hollow of Keith's neck. “And intelligence.” His teeth grazed the muscle of Keith’s shoulder. “And wit.” He gently nibbled and sucked on the lobe of Keith’s ear, drawing out a sigh of pleasure.

Each compliment spoke to something primal in Keith, causing the sparks of pleasure from Lance's touch to ignite into a low burning fire. The smell of an aroused Alpha, currently his aroused Alpha, stoked the flames. He slid closer to Lance, aligning their hips and giving an experimental roll that pulled a satisfied growl from Lance’s throat.

“That seems to be more than 'a little sexually’,” Lance murmured even as he grasped Keith's hips and ground upward to draw out the tease of friction between them.

“Do you want to stop?” Keith breathed. His low, husky voice shot straight down Lance's spine to coil low in his stomach

“Nah, just checking in. If you're good, then I am great.” Lance peppered Keith’s jugular with kisses and licks and light nips. He followed the artery up to Keith’s primary scent gland and nuzzled it to further combine their scents until the two were almost indistinguishable from one another. The smell drove his need and the shallow upwards thrusts that were far from enough.

“Heh, such a good Alpha.”

“I’m going to make you mean that,” Lance purred against Keith’s skin.

“Maybe I already do.”

Lance wasn't sure how that sounded like a challenge, but it did. A challenge to court the fiery Omega properly; to show why life with Lance was better than life without. In a way, that courting had started the moment Lance became the right hand of Voltron. Even letting Keith go, supporting him from afar with the unspoken promise he had a pack to return to, had been part of their courtship.

Lance pulled away with a final graze of teeth over Keith’s jaw as his grip tightened on his hips to hold them still. For a moment, he just took in the sight of Keith flushed and in his lap with eyes dark and breath coming in small pants.

“We should probably move somewhere private,” he finally said, tongue darting out to moisten his lips. “Maybe slip into something more comfortable?”

Keith seemed to consider the proposal as he pushed Lance's shirt up, appraising the lean muscle and smooth skin that was exposed to him. His eyes followed the dusting of hair that trailed down from Lance's naval. For a moment, he reconsidered keeping clothed from the waist down. He knew it would increase the temptation to take Lance's knot tenfold, though. Maybe after his mind wasn't being taken over by a fog of lust he would talk to Lance about it.

“Yeah, we probably should.” Keith indulged in another kiss before standing up. His eyes raked over Lance hungrily and he couldn't remember why he had ever thought of denying himself. “Come on.”

Lance waited for Keith to start moving before he got up. He followed a few steps behind, giving the Omega some space while still satisfying the instincts telling him to watch for non-existent challengers. When they passed his room, Lance reached out to grab Keith's hand.

“I’ll be right there.” He noticed Keith's eyes drop to where their hands were clasped and immediately let go. It seemed ridiculous how embarrassed he felt over something so innocent considering what they had already done.

A few ticks passed between them before Keith stepped forward and nuzzled Lance's cheek. It was a relatively innocent act. Lance touched cheeks with Hunk to reinforce their pack bond and with Pidge if she asked when she was feeling isolated or anxious. It was a recognition of family and friendship. From Keith, however, it felt like all of that and more.

“Don't take too long,” Keith whispered before disappearing into his room, leaving Lance to stare at where he had been.

Briefly, Lance wondered what he was getting into, but quickly decided it didn't really matter. Anything Keith wanted, Lance would freely give.

Lance reminded himself that what Keith wanted was him, half naked, and in his bedroom as soon as possible. With that in mind, he gave enough of himself to his instincts to melt away his remaining insecurities and stepped into his room to change.

 

* * *

_A mating mark is the result of the process that establishes a mating bond. Science has discovered that after scenting between compatible mates, there is a change in the hormones produced by the pituitary gland. These hormones drastically increase the aphrodisiac qualities of the chosen mate’s pheromones and signal the primary scent glands and salivary glands to alter the chemicals they produce. The mating mark occurs when one partner bites the other, releasing the scent glands’ chemicals to react with the chemicals in the saliva, thus creating the mating bond._

__\- Human Biology: Concepts and Current Issues ed. 21_ _

* * *

 

The only thing that marked the passage of time was the wear on Lance and Keith’s stamina as they explored every bit of each other’s exposed skin. Occasionally, the rhythm of their pants and moans was broken by whispers of ‘is this ok?’ or ‘please, more’ until Lance was behind Keith, grinding against him as he licked and nipped the length of his spine. The hand that had slipped down the front of Keith’s leggings stroked the Omega’s weeping cock in time with his thrusts. Lance’s own cock peeked out from beneath his waistband, leaking between them as his knot swelled.

Keith came first, quiet enough that Lance would have missed it if he hadn’t been able to feel Keith’s cock pulsing in his hand. Little whimpers escaped his throat as he rode out the aftershocks of his orgasm against Lance’s palm.

Lance followed shortly after, spurting ribbons of cum across Keith’s back and over his own stomach. He kept his knot pressed between them as he kissed the delicate skin behind Keith’s ear and the curve of his jaw. His lips lingered near Keith’s scent gland where he would bestow the mating mark.

Next time, Lance thought to himself with plans for how to prove his worth already forming in his mind.

They stayed tangled together until Lance's knot had gone down and their breathing had evened out. During that time, Lance simply enjoyed how Keith flooded his senses. He could feel the heat of Keith's body along with the steady rise and fall of his breath and smell the tangy musk of their combined scents. Every few breaths, a content hum would emit from Keith’s throat. If not for the cum and slick drying on their skin, Lance would have happily stayed cuddled with Keith for the rest of the night.

“We should clean up,” Lance murmured after pressing a final kiss to the delicate skin behind Keith's ear.

“Yeah.”

Keith stretched out, unconsciously displaying the perfect lines of his body. Lance mentally keened as he imagined running soapy hands over those elegant lines, chasing water droplets along the dips and hard planes of muscle. The words asking for more were already forming in his mind. He’d reverently clean Keith off then sink to his knees and ask to taste him, worshipping him with his lips and tongue if allowed.

“You want to go first?” Keith asked, voice piercing through Lance’s thoughts.

“What?” Lance didn't know why he was asking for clarification. He knew what Keith meant. There was nothing to gain from hearing him say it.

“The shower,” Keith replied as he got out of the bed. “You want to go first?”

The inner turmoil roiling in Lance’s mind was expertly hidden by a casual shrug and lopsided grin. Keith wasn’t his, after all, no matter what he smelled like at the moment. It would probably be good for Keith to have time away from the pheromones to rethink things, anyway. To rethink Lance.

“Nah, I’ll just grab a shower in my room then grab us some food.”

“Heh, such a good Alpha,” Keith said with affection softening his voice. Lance wanted to believe it was genuine, that those purple eyes were really looking at him with such warmth, but he knew to be cautious with assumptions like that.

Keith disappeared into the bathroom while Lance’s primal brain berated him for letting the Omega go. It continued to scratch the back of his mind as he went to his room to clean up. He ignored it. Keith wasn't his and even if he was, Lance would give him space if that was what he wanted.

After a quick shower, Lance headed to the kitchen. There was no sign of the rest of the team other than a container marked 'Keith’ in Hunk's clean, blocky handwriting. Inside was a collection of snacks and water pouches along with a freezer tube that held what looked like ice cream. Lance felt a swell of fondness for his Beta. Even if Lance wasn't the perfect Alpha, Hunk was definitely the perfect Beta.

He returned to Keith's room to find the Omega sitting on his bed in a fresh pair of leggings, looking pensively at nothing in particular. The sound of the door closing drew his attention and Lance had barely put down his haul from the kitchen before he had an armful of Keith. He slid his cheek against Lance's before tilting his head to expose his neck, silently inviting Lance to scent him. Lance obliged and when Keith breathed his name, Lance dared to gently mouth the cord of muscle that connected his neck and shoulder.

“Are you alright?” he asked, voice soft against Keith's skin. He let himself brush his lips against Keith's scent gland and was rewarded with a content sigh as Keith leaned into him.

“Yeah, I just didn't expect being away from you to be what it was.”

“And what was it?”

“Aggravating,” Keith answered with a slight growl in his voice. It was immediately replaced by something much more vulnerable. “Lonely.”

“It's probably your heat.” Lance could already feel the pheromones seeping into his own brain, making his thoughts narrow to Keith and only Keith. Slowly, instinct started to become louder than any of the doubts that had swirled in his head just moments before.

“Not entirely,” Keith admitted. “When I'm off with the Blade of Marmora I miss you. The rest of the team, too, but… the more I think about it, the more it's you.”

“Definitely the heat.” Despite his words, Lance continued to mouth Keith’s neck.

“Stop that.”

Lance immediately went still, waiting for a beat before he slowly detached himself from Keith's neck and took a step back. He tried not to look too much like a scolded puppy.

“Not that,” Keith responded. He took Lance's hand and pulled him back in. He nipped Lance’s jaw then moved to his ear, biting the lobe just hard enough to cause Lance to wince as a playful punishment. “Stop doubting I could have feelings for you; that you are worth having feelings for.”

“So it was good for you?” Lance tried to make it sound like a joke, but his uncertainty managed to slip through.

“Almost overwhelmingly so.” Keith brought his hand up to tangle his fingers in Lance’s hair. He pulled lightly to tilt Lance’s head back and placed his mouth on a scent gland, sucking just hard enough to pull a moan from the Alpha.

“No regrets?”

“The clothed below the waist thing might have been a mistake,” Keith answered absently as his lips traced the curve of Lance's neck.

“It kept the sheets clean,” Lance pointed out. His head lolled back beneath Keith’s attention. A sly smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “If you want to go naked, I promise I'll behave.”

“I know you will.” Keith’s lips moved to hover a breath away from Lance's, voice smoldering in a way that thickened the haze of want and mine that was settling over his mind. “What if I don't want you to?”

“Then I'll be as bad as you want.” Lance closed the gap between them, tongue dipping past Keith’s lips. He savored the moment, taking in Keith's taste and the feel of him warm and pliant in Lance's arms. Keith's hands found their way beneath Lance’s shirt, fingers curling into Lance's shoulder blade as he sought to pull him closer. Lance broke the kiss to trail kisses along Keith's jaw.

“After your heat,” he breathed into Keith's ear.

A whine turned into a chuckle as Keith collapsed against Lance, hiding his face against Lance's neck. “Such a good Alpha.”

 

* * *

_It should not have come to a surprise that she had made him a nest, yet he was incapable of stifling the small intake of breath at the sight of it. It was only after he caught her smile that he remembered himself. Immediately, his expression hardened to one of detached critique as he took a turn around the room. The decor was quite acceptable. He particularly admired her ability to weave in her suitability as a mate with the fabrics all fit for an Alpha of her status and his favorite books from her personal collection taking up one wall. He sat on the bed to silently accept her proposal and relished the light in her eyes as she swept forward to embrace her new mate._

__\- John Chopin, Dignity and Daring_ _

* * *

 

Keith was suspicious. In the phebes that had passed since Keith had spent his heat with Lance, the Alpha always greeted him in the hanger. This time, however, there was no Lance. His absence was felt with a tinge of longing that twisted a bit of his suspicion into worry. He pushed it aside as Shiro strode up to greet him, embracing Keith with something like nostalgia in his eyes.

“Where’s Lance?” Keith asked, eyeing Shiro without any effort to hide his wariness. Lance had proven to be an attentive Alpha, enough so that Keith suspected his next heat was coming early, the only way he wasn’t here is if something was up or wrong.

“Resting in his room,” Shiro answered with an easy shrug. “He hasn’t been feeling well.”

“You’re a horrible liar,” Keith muttered. Lance messaged him all the time while he was away; he would have mentioned if he wasn’t feeling well.

“Go see for yourself,” Shiro responded. “I’ll tell everyone else you’re back and get the report from Kolivan.”

Keith’s suspicion twisted further into concern. If Shiro was letting him skip debriefing then it might actually be something to worry about. Now that he thought about it, it was completely in character for Lance to not mention if something was wrong with him to keep Keith from worrying.

“Sure, thanks.” Keith gave one last appraising look to try and catch any of Shiro’s tells. There wasn’t anything other than a slight knowing smile, though Keith wasn’t sure what he knew. He dismissed it with a huff and headed to his Alpha’s room.

Keith wasn’t sure when he had started to think of Lance as his Alpha. The most he could figure, it had been sometime after the first time he had asked Lance to knot him. The memory of being tied to Lance, feeling stretched and boneless with even the slightest movement teased his sensitive entrance, still made a flush of heat radiate through him. It was especially acute with how the first signs of his heat approaching made his skin feel a bit too tight and his body just a bit too hot.

“Keith, m’boy. Welcome back.” Coran’s chipper greeting dowsed any of the want that had begun to creep up in response to Keith’s thoughts. “Did the broadsword you took make it back with you?”

“I didn’t take a broadsword,” Keith responded haltingly. He had his own blade, so it didn’t make sense that he would need to take an Altean broadsword.

“Hm.” Coran rubbed his chin in consideration. “I suppose I’ll just have to add it to the list of missing things.” He gave a dismissive shrug. “Probably just ship gremlins.”

“Ok…” Keith had no idea if that was actually a thing. Honestly, he didn't really want to know.

His attention shifted to the door down the hallway that led to Lance’s room. He couldn’t help the twist of worry in his gut. “Hey, Coran, do you know if Lance is ok? Shiro said he wasn’t feeling well.”

“As far as I know, he’s been right as rocks.”

“I’m going to assume that means he’s fine.”

“Of course, other than acting a little shifty.” Coran’s brow creased as he thought back over the past few varga. “There was that hit to the noggin he took sparring with Shiro.”

The worry clenched as his mind jumped to conclusions.

“He checked out, though, and beat Shiro at space chess afterward, so it couldn't have been that hard of a hit.”

Keith frowned at this new information. It sounded like Lance might just be licking his metaphorical wounds after challenging Shiro. That would certainly explain why Lance hadn’t been at the hanger, though it irritated him that Lance would let some spat with Shiro keep him from welcoming Keith home. The fact Keith hadn't been there to comfort his Alpha was equally irritating.

“I'm going to go check on him,” Keith said. “Shiro is getting the mission report from Kolivan.”

“Sounds good, Number Four.” Coran stepped past Keith, presumably to head toward the bridge. He paused to look back at Keith. “Let me know if anything is missing in your room. I might have to set traps if much more disappears.”

“Yeah, sure.” Keith watched Coran leave before continuing to Lance's room.

The door slid open and Keith's breath caught in his throat. Everything suddenly clicked into place, rendering him momentarily speechless.

“Welcome back,” Lance murmured. He was in the middle of the room, watching Keith take in his handiwork.

The ceiling was blanketed in clouds of light that Keith instantly recognized as the Milky Way. It was captivating and it was only Lance's hand on his wrist that pulled Keith's attention from it.

“Do you like it?”

The stars sparkled in Keith's eyes as he smiled at Lance, making the Alpha's heart skip and an identical smile to spread across his face.

“You did this for me?”

“With help,” Lance admitted. “Hunk and Pidge did the programming, but I got the materials and did the rest of the room.” He took out his handheld and tapped the screen, causing the lights to transition to a warm daylight.

The broadsword displayed on the far wall was the first thing to catch Keith's attention in the new light. It was a clear reminder of Lance's combat skills and as Keith looked around, he realized that Lance had built him a nest. Panels made of a worn, leather-like material in varying shades of brown covered the back wall of the bed’s alcove, contrasting the light blues and grays of the bedding. Everything looked soft and luxurious, particularly the black and red knit blanket piled at the foot of the bed.

“You built me a nest,” Keith stated, barely recognizing his own voice. It was too soft with too much wonder to be his.

“Yeah.” Lance shifted nervously as he watched Keith. “I get if it's kind of sudden and you aren't ready. I just want…” Lance let out a heavy sigh, forcing himself to slow down and organize his thoughts into coherent words, “I want to be your home. I want to be the person you return to because they make you feel safe and supported and cared for and loved. I want to know that even if our lives are crazy and unpredictable and dangerous, that I have you to face it all with.”

Keith was too stunned to reply, so he went for action instead and followed his instinct to inspect the nest. He ran his hand over the blankets, judging the color and quality. His eyes turned to the walls of the room. There was the broadsword, of course, but also a scattering of pictures among a mosaic of materials that ranged from brushed metal to Altean porcelain.

“You know you are going to have to tell Coran you took all this stuff.”

Lance blushed and shifted his weight. “Yeah, but I wanted you to at least see it before I had to give anything back.”

“And you challenged Shiro for me.”

Lance nodded. “I know it's a pretty outdated practice, but I also know how much Shiro means to you.”

Keith hummed in consideration as he made his way back to the bed, not sitting just yet. He met Lance’s gaze and simply stated, “You lost.”

“In sparring,” Lance quickly defended, “which, come on, there is no question that he could snap me in half. It was more a show of respect for him and your relationship with him. I also totally won at space chess.”

“You do have a surprisingly good mind for strategy.” Keith sunk onto the bed, enjoying the feel of the soft knit blanket as he acted like the simple act of sitting in the nest Lance had made wasn’t as significant as it was. His eyes met Lance's and the happiness he saw in them caused a smile to spread across his own face.

Lance stepped closer as if he was dazed, kneeling in front of Keith and looking up at him as if he were the storm rolling in to break a drought. Keith reached out to caress Lance’s cheek before he leaning down to brush his lips against Lance's.

“Are you sure?” Lance asked, voice quiet and reverent with his breath caressing Keith's lips.

“Yeah,” Keith easily replied. “I love you and I want to be your mate.”

The words were strange in how natural they felt. They had been true for some time, though. Even before their relationship had become physical or romantic, Keith loved Lance for how they had fallen together only to find how perfectly they fit.

In a moment, Lance’s lips were against Keith's again. He gently pushed Keith back on the mattress, tongues parting lips to caress and taste. Happiness bubbled over into laughter as the kiss turned to nuzzling of cheeks.

“Te amo,” Lance breathed against Keith's skin as his lips trailed over his jaw and down his neck. He scraped his teeth over Keith's scent gland in a silent promise to mark him later. He nuzzled Keith to mingle their scents, thrilling at the smell of honey and habanero mixing with his own citrus sea breeze scent. “I'm going to be such a good Alpha for you.”

Keith chuckled, unsure if the lightness filling his chest would ever fade. “Ya lo eres.”

**Author's Note:**

> Shout out to GlassAlice, ImaginationCubed, AshestheTerrible, ShanimalX, and Anna for being an awesome support squad. Go check out their work.
> 
> And if you are interested in seeing more or have questions about this version of ABO dynamics, let me know in the comments.


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